TOKYO, July 29. /TASS/. Malaysia is committed to resolving territorial disputes with Indonesia solely by diplomatic means, respecting international law, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said.

"We follow the legal path. We do not take an aggressive stance. Both sides must avoid encroaching into each other’s territory," the Bernama news agency quoted him as saying during a visit to Jakarta.

Touching on the issue of the maritime border delimitation in the Celebes Sea, the Malaysian prime minister noted that Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta are guided by international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. "We are committed to honoring each other’s interests, respecting the borders established under international law. We continue sticking to this principle to avoid tensions," he stressed.

Malaysia and Indonesia are contesting several areas in the Strait of Malacca, Singapore Strait, in the South China and Celebes Seas. In 2002, the UN International Court of Justice ruled to cede two small islands of Ligitan and Sipadan northeast of the Kalimantan (Borneo) Island to Kuala Lumpur. The verdict was met negatively by Jakarta, which also claimed ownership of these islands.